Instruments such as imaging radar helped usher in a new era in archaeology.
Published Aug 29, 2017
Commonly known as “the oldest city in the world,” Jericho is an important historical, cultural, and political center located northwest of the Dead Sea. This astronaut photograph illustrates the city center, and the original settlement mound of Tell es-Sultan. Total distance across the image is approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles). Two large refugee camps are located to the northwest and south of the city center. The high building density of the refugee camps contrasts sharply with the more open city center and irrigated fields (green polygonal patches) of Jericho, and illustrates one of the physical consequences of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the region.
Published May 2, 2005
Madrid is the political, economic, and cultural center of Spain.
Published Sep 12, 2016
This one-meter resolution satellite image of Bam, Iran was taken by Digital Globe’s IKONOS satellite on Dec. 27, 2003, just one day after a catastrophic earthquake struck the historic city. The image shows widespread destruction as a result of the 6.7 magnitude earthquake.
Published Jan 6, 2004
The brilliant lights of Belgium shine in this nighttime photograph taken from the International Space Station.
Published May 5, 2014
Tunisia’s “second city” is home to a large fishing fleet and a vast coastal redevelopment project.
Published Jul 13, 2015
This nighttime photograph of Tokyo, Japan, was taken by International Space Station astronaut Dan Tani on February 5, 2008. The heart of the city is brightest, with ribbons of lights radiating outward from the center along streets and railways.
Published Apr 22, 2008
There were few Indian rulers as passionate about architecture as Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur.
Published Aug 24, 2019
Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, Alexandria became a center of trade and learning in the ancient world. he Eastern Harbor was the main port in the Middle Ages. This detailed image taken by Space Station crew members using an 800-mm lens provides a view of the modern port facilities in the Western Harbor, where wharves and many moored ships can be detected.
Published May 31, 2004
The city-state of Carthage in North Africa was founded by Phoenician settlers in 814 BC, and it subsequently became the seat of a trade empire that controlled much of the western Mediterranean region (including most of the former Phoenician lands). Carthage was completely destroyed by the Roman Republic during the Third (and final) Punic War (149-146 BC). The end of Carthage has been made notorious by the story that the Romans allegedly sowed the city with salt to ensure that no further rivals to their power would arise there. However, given the great value of salt at the time and the strategic importance of the city’s location, scholars dispute whether the event actually occurred. Following the destruction of Carthage, Roman dominance of the Mediterranean continued until the fall of the Western Empire in 476 AD.
Published Jun 26, 2006
A key city on the old Silk Road stands midway between Western Europe and China.
Published Sep 23, 2013
Astronauts have the best view of the city’s well-known “swept wing” city layout, which takes the form of a flying bird that is expressed in the curves of the boulevards. The stadium sits between the wings.
Published Jun 16, 2014
Modern Luxor is full of relics and reminders of ancient Egypt.
Published Jun 3, 2019
The old and new zones of Doha, capital city of Qatar, are clearly visible from space, as is the Persian Gulf emirate’s new artificial island, The Pearl.
Published Dec 20, 2010
